A Case Study my partner and I did for Advertising Problems 4040 and LSU. We did a IMC plan along with a new campaign for Red Bull with a $100,000,000 budget.

1. CASE STUDY
IMC PLAN
GSD

2. THE PROBLEM
RedBullcurrentlyhasvery successful
marketing and advertising efforts.
However, it currently does not have a
great female presence. Additionally,
Red Bull’s competitors are gaining
more Market Share in their category.
Wehavebeengiventhetasktocreate
a Campaign and IMC plan that will
help Red Bull increase sales by 5%
in the 2016 fiscal year.

3. CRITICAL FACTORS
> Several Established Promotional Events
> Competitors are Creeping into the Market
> Digital Presence
> High Price
> Target Audience

4. ADVERTISING OBJECTIVES
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES
>Increase positive brand perception among 18-24 year olds.
>Increase product purchase consideration among 18-24 year old.
>Establish Red Bull as the #1 energy drink for college-ages students.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES
>Increase brand awareness for females by 15%
>Increase product purchase for females 20%
Red Bull’s competitors, primarily Monster, have been
flooding the market and gaining a high percentage of loyal
consumers within the college-aged demographic. We hope
to regain market share with this key demographic, which
is valuable to Red Bull as an energy drink company. If we
do nothing, then our competitors will continue to capitalize
on this market and Red Bull will be out of sight and out of
mind of college-aged consumers. Furthermore, Red Bull
has a shockingly low female index rating. We hope to craft
a gender-neutral message that appeals to women without
isolating our current brand loyalists.

5. COMPETITORS
Monster is extremely oriented
toward a younger male audience.
Many ads are targeted toward
specialized groups, such as gamers
and extreme sport enthusiasts. Much
of the marketing strategies revolve
around sponsoring public events or
celebrity endorsements. Monster’s
logo resembles adrenaline, power
and testosterone, reflecting its motto
“Unleash the monster within.”
Targeting younger adults
who have become more
accustomed to energy
drinks as opposed to coffee.
Appeals to a more white-
collar, “hard-working”
individual more than just
extreme sports enthusiasts.
Not targeting teenagers, but
rather older professionals
who need an afternoon
boost.

6. COMPETITORS

7. TARGET AUDIENCE
Our target market are college students and everyone aged 18-
24. We will target our demographic on college campuses and in
major cities. Our target is hard working, and enjoys sporting events
and extreme sports. Our target enjoys drinking alcohol at bars or
sporting events, and it is popular for them to mix Red Bull with their
alcoholic drinks. Furthermore, our target is athletes that need an
extra physical or mental boost. Geographically speaking, Red Bull is
very evenly distributed across the country.

8. GEOGRAPHIC PROFILE
Cleveland
LosAngeles
Detroit
Chicago
Houston
Boston
SanAntonio
Miami
Atlanta
MaintainStrategy
ExtremelyAggressiveStrategy
AggressiveStrategy
AggressiveStrategy
BDI
CDI

9. NEW TAGLINE
RISE ABOVE

10. TRADITIONAL AD
RISE ABOVE

11. SOCIAL MEDIA AD
Rise Above
RISE ABOVE
NASHVILLE, TN
RISE ABOVE
DALLAS, TX

12. RISE ABOVE
SUPER BOWL AD

13. IMC PLAN
ELEMENTS
> Advertising
> Public Relations
> Event Sponsorship
OVERALL TARGET AUDIENCE
> Males and females 18-24
OVERALL BUDGET
$66,530,000

14. MARKETING OBJECTIVES
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES
>Increase sales by 5% in the 2016 Fiscal Year
>Top energy drink purchased by 18-24 year olds
>Drive traffic to App through Sales Promotion
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES
>Increase brand awareness for females by 15%
>Increase product purchase for females 20%

15. IMC ELEMENTS
PUBLIC RELATIONS
ADVERTISING
EVENT SPONSORSHIP

16. ADVERTISING
Advertising is the most effective way to reach our target.
Our media slots have the highest index rating with our target
audience, and we will target a large amount of our audience
in a very effective way. Essentially all of our promotions and
campaign rely on advertising to succeed. Therefore, it is not
only the most important element of IMC that we will use, but
hopefully the most successful.
14%
58%
4%
7%
6%
7%
4%
Amount
Spent
Cable
Network
Magazine
Internet
Social
Media
Outdoor
Internet
Radio
$51,580,000

17. EVENT SPONSORSHIP
We are sponsoring Bonnaroo. Hailed as one of the top music
festivals in the world, Bonnaroo is a prime festival for those
within our age target. The Bonnaroo brand, and the image of
music festivals in itself, is a fine complement to Red Bull’s image.
Additionally, we will sponsor women’s sports and the X-games to
help achieve our secondary objectives of reaching women. We will
also help with the I Heart Radio Festival and sponsor select college
football games.
$14,950,000
3%
34%
42%
8%
13%
Amount
Spent
iHeart
Radio
Bonaroo
College
Sports
Womens
Sports
X
Games

18. PUBLIC RELATIONS
Through the duration of our campaign, we will pay
a PR firm monthly to manage Red Bull’s publicity
– both from sponsored events and advertisements.
They will be responsible for contacting buzz blogs and
websites and keeping them informed with our events
and marketing efforts. Because of the recent lawsuits
against Red Bull’s previous slogans, they will also be
handling any possible damage control.
$1,800,000

19. SALES PROMOTION PLAN
Our campaign is primarily focusing on consumer promotions.
This is because we have greater control over our campaign, and
we have a greater chance of inducing brand switching away from
our competitors. Furthermore, we can stimulate repeat purchases of
Red Bull and increase brand loyalty. We will use promotional sales
to push Red Bull onto college campuses.
Frequency Programs
Sweepstakes
College Edition Promotions

20. Red Bull currently has an app that connects users with “stories that
fuel your inspiration.” Consumers can browse through images of action
sports, follow Red Bull sponsored athletes, and watch videos of events
like Red Bull Flugtag. We propose that Red Bull introduce a points
system that combines its product with its app and awards consumers for
their purchases. Consumers can either scan their can or enter a code into
the app and receive points based on the size and quantity purchased. For
newer products that Red Bull is introducing to the market, such as Orange,
Cherry and college edition cans, users can receive more points. In addition,
some codes (approximately 1/25) will be deemed “Lucky Bull” codes and
consumers will be able to redeem a free 12 ounce can.
FREQUENCY PROGRAM

21. Points
8 ounce can – 100 points
12 ounce can – 150 points
16 ounce can – 200 points
20 ounce can – 250 points
Orange edition 12 ounce – 200 points
Cherry edition 12 ounce – 200 points
Yellow edition 12 ounce – 200 points
College edition 12 ounce – 250 points
4-pack of 8 ounce cans – 500 points
12-pack of 8 ounce cans – 1750 points
Awards
2,000 points: Free 12 ounce can
5,000 points: Free 4-pack
10,000 points: Free 12-pack
1,000,000 points: Free ticket, lodging and flight to Red Bull-sponsored
event of choice.
1,500,000 points: Free ticket, lodging and flight to spend a day with a Red
Bull-sponsored athlete of choice and watch them perform.
FREQUENCY PRIZES

22. SWEEPSTAKES
In addition to the point based sales promotions, we are having
a sweepstakes that ties into the app as well. For every 1,000
points, users are entered into a sweepstakes to have “The Ultimate
Bonnaroo Experience,” including the chance to go backstage and
hangout with Macklemore for a day. The winner and ten of his or her
friends will be flown out to Tennessee with VIP weekend tickets to
Bonnaroo, with all expenses covered. The winner will get a meet-and-
greet with Macklemore and the opportunity to watch him perform at
Bonnaroo in the VIP section.

23. We plan on purchasing the rights to developing college-themed
Red Bull cans for 25 of the most prominent football universities. We’ll
feature each universities’ can in specialized ads and promote them
during both game days and testing periods (i.e. Rise Above on Game
day, or Rise Above on Finals Week). This will generate publicity
and attach a positive brand image with Red Bull, when aligned with
consumers’ universities.
COLLEGE EDITION PROMOTIONS

24. Mock-up of what College cans would look

25. TIMELINE

26. FLOWCHART

27. REGIONALITY
LOS ANGELES / SEATTLE / DALLAS / NEW YORK / TAMPA
HOUSTON / AUSTIN BOSTON / CHICAGO / COLUMBUS / SAN DIEGO
DENVER / NASHVILLE SAN FRANCISCO / ATLANTA / PORTLAND
PHILADELPHIA / DETROIT / ST. LOUIS / MINNEAPOLIS

28. SEASONALITY
We will have a year-round pulsing method, with a focus on specific events
during the academic year. This includes finals weeks (early May and
December), spring break (Mid-late March) and summer break (June –
August). These times are when energy drinks become most relevant to
college-aged consumers and will put the brand foremost in their minds.

29. SPOKESPERSON
We believe that Macklemore’s music, personality
and personal image represent Red Bull’s brand
message as a celebrity endorser. Macklemore has an
energetic and progressive image that complements
Red Bull and our target audience well. Based on our
research, we found that hip-hop concerts are attended
far more than any other genre by 18-24 year olds.
In addition, Macklemore’s 2014 album, “The Heist,”
sold very well and was awarded a Grammy for best rap
album – making Macklemore a very relevant figure.
Macklemore has very positive publicity for his open-
minded and peaceful messages, making him a stable
representative for the Red Bull brand and appealing
figure to our target audience.

30. EVALUATION
PRE TESTING
> Coincidental Survey
> Attitude Tests
> Advertising Tracking Research Measures
> Advertising Tracking Research
>Comparative Testing
POST TESTING
>Brand Linkage Tests
>Likability Tests
>Persuasion Tests
>Comparative Testing
FOCUS GROUPS
GOOGLE ANALYTICS
TEXT-MINING

31. PROS & CONS
PROS
>We have a clear objective and target market.
>We have a relevant message to college-aged consumers.
>Our social media ad is innovative and likely to receive positive publicity.
>We are confident that Macklemore will resonate with our audience.
>Our message steers away from Monster’s over-the-top masculine marketing
CONS
>Unsure if our message will pierce the minds of those loyal to our competitors.
>Will our target audience find our ads trustworthy?
>Requires our audience to utilize our social media ad and sales promotion.
>Extra costs to purchase college licensing rights.

32. EXPECTED OUTCOME
We expect that Red Bull will begin to shift
its way into becoming the prevalent energy drink
brand for college-aged consumers. Our target will
start considering Red Bull more, while considering
our competitors less. Those within our target
that are put-off by energy drinks’ with excessive
masculine messages will find Red Bull’s cool,
mass appeal refreshing. Furthermore, we expect
women to think more positively about the Red
Bull brand and product purchase to increase
among females. Throughout 2016, we expect
sales to rise by 5% and for Red Bull to eventually
become the number one brand for college-aged
consumers.